Four names come up again and again when you buy, sell, let or rent a home in Abu Dhabi, and they are easy to mix up. ADREC is the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre, the regulator of the emirate's property sector. DARI is the official platform where transactions and certificates are handled. Tawtheeq is the system that registers tenancy contracts, so every lease sits on one record. Madhmoun is the verified listing system, which decides whether a property may legally be advertised at all. You never choose between them: each covers a different part of the same journey. This guide explains what each one is, what you use it for, the official fees, and the order you meet them. Everything here is as of September 2026.
The Four Systems at a Glance
A fifth name belongs in this table because you cannot avoid it. TAMM is the Abu Dhabi Government services platform, and ADREC's own FAQ says all services are reached through it.
| Name | What it is | You use it for |
|---|---|---|
| ADREC | The regulator | Rules, registers, market data, disputes |
| DARI | The property platform | Sales, title deeds, certificates, project data |
| Tawtheeq | The tenancy register | Registering and renewing a lease |
| Madhmoun | The verified listing system | Permission to advertise a property |
| TAMM | The government services platform | Reaching the services above |
ADREC: Who Regulates Property in Abu Dhabi
The Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre was established in November 2023 by the Department of Municipalities and Transport, itself formed in 2019. ADREC describes itself as an affiliate of that department and the authority responsible for regulating the emirate's real estate sector.
Its four stated focus areas are strategic planning, promotion, regulation and transaction management. In practice it writes and enforces the rules, keeps the registers of projects and licensed professionals, publishes market data, oversees escrow accounts and runs the dispute settlement route.
Two outputs matter directly to a buyer or tenant. The ADREC Directory, the project register, held 311 registered projects when this guide was written and shows a project number, build progress and the share of units sold for each. The residential rental index, launched on 20 August 2024, publishes indicative quarterly rental values by area.
ADREC regulates Abu Dhabi only. Dubai has its own regulator and systems, and the two are not interchangeable. If you are new here, our guide to buying property in Abu Dhabi as an expat and our first time buyer article start from the beginning.
DARI: The Platform Where Transactions Happen
DARI is the public face of the system. Its publisher describes it as Abu Dhabi's official digital real estate ecosystem, developed by Advanced Real Estate Services and backed by the Department of Municipalities and Transport, and it carries ADREC's own copyright line. There is a website and an app.
On DARI you complete a sale and transfer ownership, register, renew, amend or cancel a tenancy contract, issue title deeds, valuation reports, ownership statements and site plans, see every property you own in one portfolio, find a registered broker, surveyor, valuer or auctioneer, and browse the market data dashboard.
Two lookups matter before you sign anything: ADREC's FAQ sends buyers to DARI for a registered project's escrow account number, and again for its completion rate. DARI also hosts Abu Dhabi's property law library. On an off-plan home those lookups protect your money. Read them with our off-plan buying guide and our off-plan risk assessment, and see what is selling on our off-plan projects pages.
TAMM: The Counter You Walk Up To
TAMM lists the property services under the Department of Municipalities and Transport, and every service page publishes the same four things: what the service does, the documents you must submit, the official cost and the processing time. Each fee below comes from those pages. The pattern rarely varies: sign in with the UAE Pass digital identity or go to a service centre, submit the application with its documents, pay, receive the document. ADREC also runs trustee offices, branches in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra, and a service that comes to you.
Tawtheeq: The Tenancy Contract Register
Tawtheeq records lease contracts in Abu Dhabi. The clearest official description sits on the government page for enrolling units: the landlord enrols and registers the units in the Tawtheeq system so that lease contracts can be issued afterwards. The building goes in first, then each lease against a unit inside it.
A registered contract is not paperwork for its own sake. It is the emirate's official record that a tenancy exists on the terms it states, and what the emirate uses as the reference for rent. When the Government of Abu Dhabi changed the annual rental increase in June 2026, ADREC stated that all lease renewals and new agreements would reference the rate on the last registered Tawtheeq contract.
That measure is the most important rule for tenants and landlords right now. The tenancy law lets a landlord raise the rent once a year by no more than five per cent, and lets the Chairman of the Executive Council increase, reduce or cancel that percentage. Using that power, the Government of Abu Dhabi moved the permitted increase from five per cent to zero per cent on residential, commercial and industrial properties across the emirate, temporarily and until further notice. As of September 2026 it is still in force, so a renewal should be processed at no increase. Check, because it is explicitly temporary.
The same law fixes the notice periods. If either side does not want to renew, or wants to change the terms, it must say so in writing two months before expiry for a home and three months for commercial, industrial or professional space. Miss that window and the lease renews on the same terms.
Letting a home for short stays is a separate regime with its own licence, covered by our holiday homes page and our short term rental article, and our rental market report tracks long term rents.
Madhmoun: Permission to Advertise
Madhmoun, which means verified in Arabic, is ADREC's listing verification system. ADREC calls it the first governmental Multiple Listing Service platform in the Gulf region, and its FAQ sets out the two rules that matter to the public: only verified properties may be listed, and advertising is limited to three approved brokers per property. Listings reach classified platforms automatically, and ADREC has said later phases will add broker to broker collaboration and international listing links.
So a property advertised in Abu Dhabi should carry a permit number, that permit ties the advert to a real unit with a real owner, and no more than three brokerages can legally advertise it. ADREC extended the idea to physical advertising with outdoor guidelines effective 1 January 2026.
Our separate article, Madhmoun Regulation in Abu Dhabi, covers who needs a permit and how one is applied for, so this guide does not repeat it. Every home on our Abu Dhabi property for sale pages is advertised under that system.
Buying a Home: Which System at Each Step
This is the order for a ready home. An off-plan purchase adds the escrow account and the project register at the start.
| Step | System | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Check the advert | Madhmoun | The listing carries a permit number |
| Check the broker | ADREC Directory | The brokerage appears as licensed |
| Check the project | DARI and the Directory | Project number, progress, escrow account |
| Agree terms | None | Price, Down Payment, instalments, handover |
| Valuation | DARI | Appraisal form from a licensed valuer |
| Register the sale | DARI through TAMM | Fees paid, ownership transferred |
| Receive the deed | DARI | Title deed issued, usually in one working day |
Two steps are worth slowing over. The valuation is a real service with a real fee, and registration carries the largest single official cost, so it belongs in your budget from the first viewing. Our breakdown of buying costs sets out the picture, our purchase process article and our buying process guide walk the sequence, and our affordability calculator and mortgage calculator test the total. With a bank involved, read our mortgage guide, because a mortgage adds its own registration step.
Selling a Home: Which System at Each Step
A seller meets the same systems in a different order, starting earlier than expected.
| Step | System | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Prove ownership | DARI | Title deed or ownership certificate to hand |
| Appoint a brokerage | ADREC Directory | Licensed firm, brokerage contract signed |
| Approve the advert | Madhmoun | Permit issued, up to three brokers |
| Clear the mortgage | DARI through TAMM | Mortgage release registered, fees paid |
| Settle the tenancy | Tawtheeq | Lease cancelled, closed or passed on |
| Transfer ownership | DARI through TAMM | Sale registered, new deed issued |
Sellers trip over the fourth and fifth rows. An unreleased mortgage stops a transfer on the day, and a tenanted home carries its lease with it, because the tenancy law keeps the contract valid against the new owner. Our guide on how to sell a property in Abu Dhabi covers the sequence, our evaluation form gets you a price opinion, and our sell your property page explains how we market a home.
Renting a Home: Which System at Each Step
Tenants meet the fewest systems, but theirs matters most.
| Step | System | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Check the advert | Madhmoun | Permit number on the listing |
| Check the landlord | DARI | Ownership confirmed before money moves |
| Register the lease | Tawtheeq | Contract recorded against the unit |
| Check the rent | Tawtheeq | The last registered contract is the reference |
| Renew or leave | Tawtheeq | Written notice, renewal registered |
| If there is a dispute | ADREC | Rental disputes committee decides |
The last row sits in the law itself. The tenancy law creates a rental disputes committee with power to reduce an increase back to the legal limit and to fine a landlord who exceeds the permitted percentage by up to one year's rent. That is why a registered contract is worth insisting on.
What the Official Fees Are
These are the published costs on the Abu Dhabi Government service pages as of September 2026. They change, so check the service page on the day.
| Service | Official fee | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Register a sale and purchase | 2% of contract value | 1 working day |
| Electronic services on that sale | AED 875 | Same request |
| Register a mortgage, electronic fee | AED 450 | Same request |
| Release a mortgage | AED 900 plus 55 | Same request |
| Register a new lease contract | AED 50 | 1 day |
| Renew a lease contract | AED 50 | 1 day |
| Cancel a lease contract | No additional cost | 6 minutes |
| Enrol units for lease | AED 900 plus 5 a unit | 1 working day |
| Title deed for land or a unit | No additional cost | 1 working day |
| Property ownership certificate | AED 50 plus 10 | 1 working day |
| Residential unit verification | AED 90 plus 10 | 6 minutes |
| Valuation certificate, residential | AED 900 | 3 working days |
Registration is charged on the contract value, so it moves with the price, and it is the figure that surprises first time buyers. The valuation certificate is priced by use, residential and agricultural land cheapest and commercial dearest, and a lease longer than four years carries one per cent on top. We publish no figure the authority does not publish itself: Madhmoun permit charges are not on the public service pages, so they are set by the authority and may change.
Papers to Prepare
Each service page lists its documents. These come up most often.
| You are | Papers to have ready | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | Emirates ID, sales agreement, appraisal form | DARI through TAMM |
| Taking a mortgage | The above plus the bank's mortgage papers | DARI through TAMM |
| Registering a lease | Passport, permits, official letter, approvals | Tawtheeq |
| Enrolling a building | Building permit, completion certificate, drawings | Tawtheeq |
| Requesting a certificate | Power of attorney or trade licence, if acting for others | DARI through TAMM |
| Getting a valuation | Site plan, photographs, proof of income | DARI through TAMM |
Three Free Checks Anyone Can Make
The first is the ADREC Directory. Its Projects tab searches by city, district, community and type, and shows each project's number, completion percentage and share of units sold. Its Professions tab holds more than five thousand brokerages, valuers and individual professionals. If a firm is not there, that is your answer.
The second is ADREC's document verification tool, which tests whether a tenancy contract, a certificate or a Madhmoun permit is genuine. It takes a contract number, a permit number, or a certificate type and issue date.
The third is DARI, for a registered project's escrow account number and completion rate. Do both before paying an off-plan booking. Then read our developer due diligence checklist, compare the developers we cover, and see how instalments work in our payment plans article.
The Laws Behind the Systems
Knowing which law governs what makes it obvious why each system exists, and Abu Dhabi publishes all four in the DARI law library. Ownership sits under Law No. 19 of 2005 on real property, amended by Law No. 13 of 2019. The real estate register sits under Law No. 3 of 2005, with an executive regulation issued in 2008. Leasing sits under Law No. 20 of 2006 on leasing spaces and the landlord and tenant relationship: Article 16 is the rent increase rule, Article 20 the notice periods and the registration of lease contracts. The sector itself, meaning developers, brokers, escrow accounts and off-plan sales, sits under Law No. 3 of 2015, as amended by Law No. 2 of 2025.
That last law keeps moving. On 30 March 2026 the Department of Municipalities and Transport issued four administrative decisions under it, on withdrawals from a project escrow account before twenty per cent completion, jointly owned property, a unified bylaw for owners' committees, and compensation when a buyer breaches an off-plan sale agreement. Own a unit in a shared building and the second and third touch your service charges. Ownership rules for non nationals are in our property ownership laws article, inheritance in our estate planning article.
Mistakes That Cost Money
- Reading Dubai rules and applying them here. The regulator, platform, tenancy system and fees are all different.
- Paying a deposit before checking the advert's permit and the firm's licence. Both checks are free.
- Treating a tenancy contract as private paperwork. An unregistered lease costs you the reference used for rent and the committee route.
- Budgeting the purchase price only. Registration is charged on the contract value, and electronic, valuation and mortgage fees sit on top.
- Missing the notice window, or assuming the rental measure is permanent. It is temporary and until further notice.
- Taking a floor area on trust. Areas follow a published method, explained in our article on built up area and gross floor area. And a strong launch is not a promise: prices, rents and bank rates move both ways.
Masterpiece Property is a licensed Abu Dhabi brokerage regulated by ADREC. We advertise under Madhmoun, register sales and tenancies through the official channels, and check the paperwork on every home we show. To go further, use our rental yield calculator, read our investor guide and Golden Visa guide, browse our Abu Dhabi areas, our Saadiyat Cultural District guide and our Al Jurf guide, or see all our property guides and frequently asked questions. When ready, contact us, book a video call or speak to our property consultants.
FAQ
What is ADREC?
ADREC is the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre, the regulator of the emirate's real estate sector. It was established in November 2023 by the Department of Municipalities and Transport. It writes the rules, keeps the registers of projects and licensed professionals, oversees escrow accounts and publishes market data.
What is DARI in Abu Dhabi?
DARI is Abu Dhabi's official property platform, run under ADREC, as a website and an app. You use it to complete sales, register and renew tenancy contracts, issue title deeds and certificates, see your properties in one portfolio, find licensed professionals and check project escrow accounts and completion rates.
What is Tawtheeq?
Tawtheeq is the system that registers tenancy contracts in Abu Dhabi. A landlord first enrols a building's units, then each lease is registered against a unit. A registered contract is the emirate's official record of the tenancy, and the emirate uses the last registered one as the reference for rent.
Is Tawtheeq registration mandatory in Abu Dhabi?
Lease registration runs through Tawtheeq and landlords are expected to register. Article 20 of the tenancy law provides for the registration rules to be issued by decision of the Chairman of the Executive Council. As a tenant, insist on a registered contract: without one you lack the reference used for rent.
What does Tawtheeq registration cost?
On the government service pages as of September 2026, registering a new lease contract costs AED 50 and renewing one costs AED 50, both stated at one day. Cancelling has no additional cost, stated at 6 minutes. Enrolling units for lease costs AED 900 plus 5 for each unit or villa on the plot.
What is Madhmoun?
Madhmoun, which means verified in Arabic, is ADREC's listing verification system, which ADREC calls the first governmental Multiple Listing Service platform in the Gulf region. Only verified properties may be listed, and advertising is limited to three approved brokers per property.
How much is the property registration fee in Abu Dhabi?
The published fee for registering a sale and purchase is 2 per cent of the contract value, plus an electronic services fee of AED 875. With a mortgage, registering it carries an electronic fee of AED 450, and releasing an existing mortgage is AED 900 plus 55.
How do I get a title deed in Abu Dhabi?
Issuing an ownership deed for land or for a single unit carries no additional cost on the government service pages and is stated at one working day. After a purchase the deed is the final step of the registration service. A property ownership certificate is a different document, at AED 50 plus AED 10.
How can I check that a property advert is legal?
Look for the permit number on the listing, then use ADREC's document verification tool, which checks tenancy contracts, certificates and Madhmoun permits. Check the brokerage in the Professions tab of the ADREC Directory, and look an off-plan project up in the Projects tab.
Can my landlord raise my rent in Abu Dhabi?
The tenancy law allows one increase a year of no more than five per cent, and lets the Chairman of the Executive Council change or cancel that percentage. Using that power, the Government of Abu Dhabi moved the permitted increase to zero per cent across the emirate in June 2026, temporarily and until further notice. As of September 2026 it still applies.
What is the difference between ADREC, DARI and TAMM?
ADREC is the regulator, DARI is the platform where the transaction happens, and TAMM is the government services platform through which those services are reached. ADREC's own FAQ states that accounts cannot be created on the ADREC website and that services are accessed through TAMM.
Do foreigners deal with the same systems?
Yes. The registration, tenancy and advertising systems apply to everyone buying, selling or renting in the emirate. What differs by nationality is where and on what terms you may own. A property valued at AED 2,000,000 or more meets the threshold for the ten year Golden Visa.
Who do I contact if something goes wrong?
ADREC is the first stop. It runs a real estate dispute settlement route, and the tenancy law creates a rental disputes committee that can reduce an increase back to the legal limit and fine a landlord who exceeds it by up to one year's rent. ADREC asks anyone who believes the rental directive is not observed to contact it through its official channels: website, customer service line and official email.
